💚10 Days, 34 events, 100+ Poets💚
Its our biggest festival yet, and all our tickets are on sale now.
lyrafest.com #poetry
06.03.2026 15:00
👍 1
🔁 1
💬 0
📌 0
💚10 Days, 34 events, 100+ Poets💚
Its our biggest festival yet, and all our tickets are on sale now.
lyrafest.com #poetry
An audience wait for a Lyra Festival event to start in a large, blue lit room with a high stage. 'Become a Friend of Lyra' is written in large white text across the image. At the bottom of the image are logos that read 'Lyra Bristol Poetry Festival', 'Arts Council England Lottery Funded, and 'Supported using public funding by Arts Council England'.
Support the Future of Poetry in Bristol 🎉
www.lyrafest.com/support-us
Become a Friend of Lyra and help us champion poetry in all its forms – from main stage performances to community workshops, from emerging voices to international headliners.
#poetry
🎉Good News Everyone!🎉
Thanks to @artscouncilengland.bsky.social, we are funded for another year - that means we'll be bringing you a full festival event list including readings, performances, workshops, walking tours and much more! Go to lyrafest.com for our mailing list & dont miss a thing!
Slam Rules There is a time limit of 3 minutes for the poem. Props, special costumes, musical instruments etc are not allowed. Just you and your words. Any poem containing language that is sexist, homophobic, transphobic, racist, discriminatory, or offensive towards any minority/disadvantaged group, will be immediately disqualified.
Entries are open to any poets in the UK, but you must be able to travel to Bristol to compete in the finals, and only a limited number of spaces are open to poets outside of the South West In the finals you cannot repeat poems you used in the qualifying round Judges will be looking at both quality of writing and quality of performance.
Slam Rules:
Apply herehttps://forms.gle/V9J3QijtK8PtxmfR7
The Grand Slam Finals will be on Sunday 19th April at Arnolfini Slammers will compete in-person in 2 rounds, with the 3 highest scoring poets battling it out for the 2026 trophy!
The Grand Slam Finals will be on Sunday 19th April at Arnolfini
Slammers will compete in-person in 2 rounds, with the 3 highest scoring poets battling it out for the 2026 trophy!
Qualifiers are on Saturday 21st March at Arnolfini and Online You can compete in person or online. There will be 3 rounds, the top 3 from each round + the highest scoring wild card will qualify for the final (10 finalists in total).
Qualifiers are on Saturday 21st March at Arnolfini and Online
You can compete in person or online.
There will be 3 rounds, the top 3 from each round + the highest scoring wild card will qualify for the final (10 finalists in total).
Submissions close at 23:59, Thursday 12th of March We’ll notify all applicants of the results by 17:00, Friday 13th March
Submissions close at 23:59, Thursday 12th of March
We’ll notify all applicants of the results by 17:00, Friday 13th March
Previous Winners and slammers who have competed in 2 of the last 3 Grand Slam Finals* are not eligible for entry in this year's slam. This is to ensure space for new faces *ie. were a top 10 finalist
Previous Winners and slammers who have competed in 2 of the last 3 Grand Slam Finals* are not eligible for entry in this year's slam.
This is to ensure space for new faces
*ie. were a top 10 finalist
Use our online form to apply The form does not guarantee your entry into the slam. This registers your interest and we also use this form to reserve a number of spaces for writers from the global majority, marginalised genders and sexualities, and writers in the South West.
Use our online form to apply
The form does not guarantee your entry into the slam.
This registers your interest and we also use this form to reserve a number of spaces for writers from the global majority, marginalised genders and sexualities, and writers in the South West.
Lyra Bristol Poetry Slam Applications are ✨Open✨
forms.gle/CogmB1owdmz1...
Here is how to apply:
"Well worthy of its place amongst the recent @bristol247.bsky.social Legends nominations (in the performing arts category), Lyra has cemented its position in the city’s cultural landscape, regularly attracting sellout audiences to its richly varied programme."
www.bristol247.com/culture/poet...
Poet Arielle Cottingham reads from a book at the Lyra Poetry Slam Finals last year. Over the top, text reads: Lyra Poetry Slam Qualifiers, Sunday 21st March, 12:00, Arnolfini
🎉Celebrate World Poetry Day with Us! 🎉
The Lyra Poetry Slam Qualifiers are at @arnolfiniarts.bsky.social
Book your tickets: www.lyrafest.com#e147778
Take Part: forms.gle/Ku3MVczXcHwd...
#poetryslam #worldpoetryday
Lyra Festival 2025 was Bristol’s biggest ever poetry festival
You can now experience the festival from the comfort of your home by purchasing our Digital Events Pass and watching some of the key events on-demand throughout June 2025.
Book access: lyrafest.com
Come along to the UK’s first ever AI and Poetry Symposium
www.lyrafest.com#e127080
Lyra’s project ‘Page Against the Machine: AI and Poetry’, funded by Brigstow Institute, has been pairing public poets and technologists together to explore the ethical and creative dilemmas of our time.
See you tonight at Waterstones Bristol for our celebration of 20 Years of Spoken Word at Bath Spa University 🎉
Tickets: hdfst.uk/e126671
Shagufta has brown skin and dark brown hair. She is wearing a patterned skirt, a wool jumper, red lipstick and hoop earrings. She has her hand on her hip and stands in front of a stained glass window. Text Reads: 20 years of Bath Spa, Friday 6th June, Waterstones.
🌟20 Years of Spoken Word at Bath Spa🌟
Tickets: hdfst.uk/e126671
Shagufta K Iqbal is a poet and facilitator. She was in the first ever spoken word class at Bath Spa. She is the author of ‘Jam Is For Girls, Girls Get Jam' published by Burning Eye. Her work is included in Spin and ‘Book Of Bristol’
Rebecca has white skin and brown hair. She is looking down at a book in her hands. She is wearing a light green jacket. Text Reads: 20 years of Spoken Word at Bath Spa, Friday 6th June, Waterstones.
🌟20 Years of Spoken Word at Bath Spa🌟
Tickets: hdfst.uk/e126671
Rebecca Tantony is the author of three poetry and short story collections, all published by Burning Eye Book She was awarded a First Class BA in Religion and Creative Writing and an MA in Creative Writing from Bath Spa University.
Danny has red curly hair. He is wearing a hooded denim jacket. He has his arms crossed and is in a sunlit park. Text Reads: 20 years of Spoken Word at Bath Spa, Friday 6th June, Waterstones.
🌟20 Years of Spoken Word at Bath Spa🌟
Tickets: hdfst.uk/e126671
Danny Pandolfi is a poet, rapper, writer, educator and cultural producer. His work explores the crossovers between forms associated with traditional poetry and contemporary hip-hop.
Alex has light brown hair, he is wearing a black tshirt and a necklace with a pendant. He is performing into a microphone, spot lit against a black background. Text Reads: 20 years of Spoken Word at Bath Spa, Friday 6th June, Waterstones.
🌟20 Years of Spoken Word at Bath Spa🌟
Tickets: hdfst.uk/e126671
Alex Calver is a poet and performer born in Essex, living in Bristol. His status as a trans poet turned heads across the UK, including through performances at Edinburgh Fringe, Shindig Festival and Shambala.
Picture of our Live Stream Team filming Brian Bilston with the text: Digital Package
Text reads: The Digital Events Pass includes on-demand access to the following Lyra Festival 2025 events from June 1st - 30th 2025: Brian Bilston Eco-Weird (Harry Josephine Giles + Caleb Parkin) Onwards! Ymlaen! Celebrating Poetry Wales @ 60 Dis Poetry: A Tribute to Benjamin Zephaniah Queer Poetry Special (Joelle Taylor + Guests) Jackie Kay + Guests Cane, Corn & Gully: by Safiya Kamaria Kinshasa Raise the Bar: Poetry and Resistance Mysticism, Romantics & Revolutionaries: by Pete the Temp & the Vibe Mechanics Lyra Poetry Slam: Grand Finals 2025 (w/ Arielle Cottingham + Toby Campion)
Text Reads: The Digital Events + Workshops Pass includes on-demand access to the following Lyra Festival 2025 workshops from June 1st - 30th 2025: Anonymity in Poetry (w/ Alice Oswald) Writing in Forms (w/ Malika Booker) Into the Weird (w/ Jack Underwood) Plus the following events: Brian Bilston Eco-Weird (Harry Josephine Giles + Caleb Parkin) Onwards! Ymlaen! Celebrating Poetry Wales @ 60 Dis Poetry: A Tribute to Benjamin Zephaniah Queer Poetry Special (Joelle Taylor + Guests) Cane, Corn & Gully: by Safiya Kamaria Kinshasa Raise the Bar: Poetry and Resistance Mysticism, Romantics & Revolutionaries: by Pete the Temp & the Vibe Mechanics Lyra Poetry Slam: Grand Finals 2025 (w/ Arielle Cottingham + Toby Campion)
🌟Digital Events Catch Up Package🌟
Lyra Festival 2025 was Bristol’s biggest ever poetry festival, taking place from 25th April - 4th May 2025.
Digital Events Pass: hdfst.uk/e131282
Digital Events + Workshops Pass hdfst.uk/e131283
The Bath spa slam team and their coaches - a group of 9 colourfully dressed and smiling people. Text Reads: 20 years of Spoken Word at Bath Spa, Friday 6th June, Waterstones.
🌟20 Years of Spoken Word at Bath Spa🌟
Tickets: hdfst.uk/e126671
The Bath Spa University students performing are: Izzy Grace, Megan Mifsud, Wren, Jaymes with a Y and Holly Morgan.
They will be performing ‘The Waiting Room’ a group poem written primarily by Izzy Grace but with lines from each poet.
Kathryn has multicoloured hair. She is wearing a yellow leather jacket and a striped scarf. She is speaking into a microphone that matches her jacket and holding her notebook. Text Reads: 20 years of Spoken Word at Bath Spa, Friday 6th June, Waterstones.
🌟20 Years of Spoken Word at Bath Spa🌟
Tickets: hdfst.uk/e126671
Since graduating from Bath Spa University Kathryn became the U.K. Slam Champion in 2021 and represented England at the World Slam, coming fifth. Her debut collection ‘Cliff Notes’ is available from Verve Poetry Press.
Once seen, never forgotten, her work ranges from the subtlety of dealing with loss to analysing the nuanced discography of the Spice Girls. Her debut poetry collection, Faulty Manufacturing is published by Verve Poetry Press.
Tickets: hdfst.uk/e126671
🌟20 Years of Spoken Word at Bath Spa🌟
Enigmatic, mysterious, drenched in shadow...
Josie Alford is none of these things.
@josiealfordpoet.bsky.social is a Bristol-based poet and freelance creative. Her stage presence is sequinned, pop culture referencing, infectious, & welcoming.
hdfst.uk/e126671
Shout out to East Bristol Books who are hosting a bunch of poetry events over the next few weeks: eastbristolbooks.co.uk/pages/book-e...
🌟20 Years of Spoken Word at Bath Spa🌟
Bath Spa University was the first university in the UK to run a specialist class in spoken word poetry and 2025 sees its 20th anniversary.
Featuring Shagufta Iqbal, Danny Carlo Pandolfi, Josie Alford Poet and Rebecca Tantony.
Tickets: www.lyrafest.com#e126671
Literature Works is again offering a series of pay-what-you-can Advice Surgeries.
These 45-minute sessions with Literature Works staff will be guided by the writer’s own interests and needs.
More details and booking www.ticketsource.co.uk/literature-w...
Enjoy poetry & translation tonight at Gloucester Road Books with Translated By, Bristol festival with the launch of Nineteen Ways of Looking at Awono
translatedbybristol.com/programme/#e...
@bathspauni.bsky.social was the first university in the UK to run a specialist class in spoken word poetry. 2025 sees its 20th anniversary 🎉 I am hosting a showcase of talent from across the years at @waterstones.bsky.social Bristol Friday 6 June with @lyrafest.com
www.lyrafest.com#e126671
Its Global Accessibility Awareness Day 🎉
Accessibility, inclusion & representation are at the heart of Lyra Festival. 100% of the venues are wheelchair accessible. This year’s programme includes many free and low-cost events, BSL-interpreted, captioned and live streamed events.
accessibility.day